The last post for the year 2009.
Remembering.
Good and bad.
Life as it is.
I posted quite bit in the past few days.
So that I could reach 50 posts for the year.
And as always, I tend to lean towards wordy and lengthy.
Instead of short and sweet.
But here goes -
2009 memories, photos, and thoughts.
January 2009
1. New Years - sitting at the kitchen table with Livy and Chris when the clock struck midnight2. Florence shopping/eating (Shoneys, Kohls, Mall, ChickfilA, etc)
3. Turning 24 - intense air hockey games with the bro-in-laws
February
5. Wedding showers for Beka - helping decorate for one.
her camera - MM images
MM images
7. Alpine slide, Ober Gatlinburg, chairlift, food, dressing up, mountain driving, airbrushed t-shirts, photos and more photos
her camera - taken by a worker
MM Images
MM Images
MM Images
- many laughs
Hilarious efforts for these.
Back to my camera.
One of my favorite photos of the year that I captured.
8. Belated celebration for bro-in-law D's 30th bday
March
9. Blogging began with the title "Press On." Hooked on reading, started my own 3.3.09 - notice the date...3x3=09 (the numeric part of my brain is working today at least even with sleep loss.)
10. Wedding backup shoot with Daniel (wedding #2)
11. Catching a bug - quite sick for a while
12. Shawn senior pics/early grad ceremony - going to basic
April
13. Easter - planning program, still recovering, green/black/white outfit
14. Waiting til the last minute for tax returns (mine and parents) - online for first time (loved it!)
15. Family reunion with my dad's family - photos - and Levi's "baseball" photo session
All eight children.
My desserts -
Hershey Bar cake, Dirt cake, and cookies.
Yummy - some of my favorite recipes.
(cookies are just break n' bake though)
All 6 - my nephews and nieces.
Mr. Levi
16. Flowers for Admin Prof day (first time?)
May
17. VA trip / Paige 5th bday party in same day
Seeing Beth.
Talking about the adoption process.
Excited that this year has resulted in a miracle for them.
Me and Randa.
Jan and Rodney.
Me and Mama.
The Princess Nieces. (this was the year of Princess parties)
18. Black/white/pink theme for Mother's Day decor at Allison's house
After church.
Allison's kitchen table.
Memory foam mattress for a gift -
combining some Mother's Day and Father's Day money.
I picked out her outfit so she would match the theme (and me.) =)
19. My sister Andrea and family's open house - they basically finalized their house this month
In their living room.
20. Fun day at church - fear of falling off scooter
Me and Zac - whooooaaa
June
21. Euroclydon sermon at NC CM.
AL visitors - Jessica and Miranda.
Creating memories with new friends.
22. Father's Day lunch at Andrea's house
Me, Karlie, Randa
My mom and I again (we were together a lot last year)
Me and Angela.
After my Granny's bday dinner.
Thankful that her skin cancer surgery went well in November 09.
Zac taking this - cracks me up.
And I bent those glasses this year - sleeping with them on.
Sigh - that is just one result of sleep deprivation.
July
25. Cook Out restaurant, fireworks at Scotland High for July 4th.
Great food. Awkward Pose for me. No sun either. =)
The finale - awesome fireworks display. And free too!
wore them quite a bit.
photo taken in Allison's garden.
28. Upstate trip. Los Amigos with Randa, Angela, and Logan (big brother news this year for him)
August
29. Photos for Kenlynn (Clemson, Lburg) and Holly (Lburg)
30. Wilmington trip with YFC - planning and food shopping.
Friday night
Saturday morning
32. Playing frisbee at Zacs bday partySeptember
33. VA trip for Labor Day - painful cactus, flowing dresses in Belk dressing room, Outback
MM Images
(thank you Randa for sharing photos this year
- digital transfers and printing)
Record attendance of 8 one Sunday in November.
I can NOT ice skate.
New places. New friends.
36. Relief from YFC planning since Daddy not electedOctober
37. sadness. extreme busyness. revival. homecoming.
38. Camp Pee Dee
Me and Ash on the inflatables.
Loved this scene.
I need to learn how to paddle better.
We made it back to the dock in our canoe.
But we had several "circling" attempts. ha!
40. Graceland - VA/NC trip.
November
41. Organizing - shoes. Enjoyed two pretty, renovated, simplified bedrooms this year.
The simple gray room with MY bedroom suit.
And the blue/palm tree bedroom I sleep in shown here at the bottom of the post. (a glimpse anyway)
43. Beach for Black Friday - stay overnight. Sunset & Sunrise photos. Much fun this weekend. Memorable moment - Allison ran over a curbing while we were riding around. It woke Emma up, who said - "I'm asleep!" We still laugh about it.
44. Downtown HP with Randa for photo shoot. (uploaded to my photography website)
December
45. Family time - making goodies, shopping, dinners, gifts.
46. Puzzles put together
47. Bridal portraits day after Christmas - obligation moving forward for wedding #4.
48. Emotions to sort through, decisions to make
Over the whole year -
49. loss, heartache, sorrow, damage, wounds - a heart that needs healing
50. hope, encouragement, reproof, warnings, gratefulness, thankfulness
And although I have 50 memories - here are a few more things.
New cell phone this year -
Upgraded text package - unlimited mobile to mobile too.
And the qwerty keypad is awesome.
This phone bit the dust.
So my Clemson phone cover must go also.
Many hours of my time spent with this laptop.
I finally upgraded my case - to something more protective.
My old laptop had many incidents that I do not need to repeat with this one.
Although not shown, I used my camera
for personal and business use in 2009.
I took over 7,000 photos - at the minimum with my Rebel.
And several more with my point-and-shoot cameras.
Shown here at work:
Part of my office space.
Spent way more time than I wanted at that desk.
I planned to enroll in grad school in 2008.
But that did not happen then - or in 2009.
So I do not know....
A positive from working -
I saved money this year
And tried to curb my spending
Used coupons
Like this Hallmark deal
15.00 off, spent less than $2 for 8 cards
Using a rewards card helps
A Hallmark store is one of my favorite places to shop.
I love having more closet space
Which still is not enough
For 2009, I tried to limit clothes purchases
I think I have enough
A closet reminds me of all the house-shopping in 2009
The first-time homebuyer option is something I am still considering
Especially since it is extended through 2010
I think I have looked at over 10
This is my favorite:
Quite reasonable for the size, location
But I decided to wait
And I think it has sold
I am considering a much smaller house
Hoping it stays on the market
For just a few more days
Because I sure do want to use my stuff
That is packed away in the storage building
Labeled and organized
(A project that I worked on in 2009)
Scrapbook cubes
Another project I worked on in 2009, started in 2008
I put the first ones together in 08 - shown above
Finally finished assembling the others in August of 09 (i think)
No photos because I still need to finish organizing - hopefully in 2010
This finishes my photos that I uploaded -
As I think about 2009,
I am thankful:
for my family
blessings in our lives
for special friends
for time spent together
for inspiring sermons/lessons
encouraging words
for answered prayers.
I have made it safe thus far –
Jesus cares –
and “He’ll be there”
when hard times come
He takes care of me in ways that I can not see
BUT also in many ways that I do see
During the highs and lows
In every moment of my lifetime
Jesus is there
He is my friend
I am grateful
As I face 2010,
I have many questions
Would love to have answers
Direction would be nice
Changes too
And a way out of this place I am in
Where I just can not get over the whys
Jeff and Sheri Easter sing this song:
(not sure about the copyrighting)
But it fits my thoughts:
Tell me why - Why do we have to hurt?
And why - Why do we have to cry?
Why do we feel like we’re always asking why?
I pray for God to help me through the days - that end in why.
The last line has the answer -
help from God
As this year ends and another begins
my prayer is this:
Please, Lord help me -
I just can't make it without you!
